Module 7

Happiness and the Good Life

Human flourishing is always

associated with happiness.
Aristotle believes that
happiness must just be another term
for good, since happiness, like good,
is “the fulfillment of our distinctive
function.”
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 To attain happiness, it is
necessary to act what is in
congruence with Right Reason.

That is why there is a need

to develop moral virtues
through good habits because
the practice of these perfects the
rational part of our soul.
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 The rational soul must be in
control of the humans’ appetite and
passion in order for these lower parts
not to control our actions.

The proper way for the

rational soul to intervene is through
the effort to practice virtuous ways
which is the middle ground of both
the extremes.

E.g. the virtue of temperance

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 Our body has a certain wisdom
to signal us in our intake when is
enough, enough.

However, the mean is different

from person to person. Each individual
has a relative need with the
consideration of the circumstances.

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 In terms of food, the need of a child
is less compared to the need of an adult
who labors physically in the farm.

Moreover, there are acts that are

naturally evil not in their excess or
deficiency but in themselves. Acts like
stealing, adultery and envy are bad in
themselves regardless of the
circumstances
 The practice of moral virtue is the
practice of habits that makes us take the
middle ground and the avoidance of evil
acts like adultery and stealing.
These acts plus “generosity, good
temper, friendship, and self-respect” lead
us to be better and live a good life. The
happy man lives a most pleasant life and
it is no wonder that people like to live
like happy man.

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 Aristotle reminds us that though we
may have the moral capacity but it is not a
guarantee that we cannot go wrong.

There are so much possibilities in life

that even our potential goodness may be
set aside.

He gives an example of a seedling

which has the potential to be a tree. Under
different circumstances, the seedling may
perish earlier not achieving into a full-
grown tree but it can never be robbed from
the seedling the potential to become a tree.
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 In our case our
nature is characterized
by being rational.
Rationality entails
deliberation and choice.
Our potential is achieved
in knowing what to do
and deliberating about it
and choosing to do it.

For Aristotle, it is
not enough to know
what is right to be right.
What is right for him is
knowing that it is right
and choosing to do it.
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 But Aristotle adds that human
nature is not only about rationality.
We have vegetative and appetitive
souls.
When we practice virtue and
exercise our rationality we do not deny
the other capacities. We read, feed our
spirit and practice virtues but we do not
forget also to eat and sleep and take care
of our body.

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 The end, goal, purpose (or meaning)
of human life is to live well.

We live a good life by accumulating,

over the course of our lives, all the real
goods (not just the apparent) that
correspond to our natural needs.

We increase our chances of having

good lives by cultivating good habits and
bit of luck.

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 The most important moral virtues or
habits are moderation, courage, and justice.

Moderation keeps us from

overindulging in pleasure or seeking too
much of the limited goods.
Courage is having the disposition to
do what it takes to live a good life.
Justice is the virtue that allows us to
have friends and enjoy the benefits of
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cooperation.
 Questions to Ponder:
■ What are my desires at the moment? Are
they inclined to the needs of my rational
soul? Or to my appetite and feelings?
■ According to Aristotle, humans should
employ all their capacities both mental
and physical to attain the highest good, do
you agree? Why?
■ How do I look at the fast technological
advancements, are they really necessary
for the good life?

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 Other Perspectives of Living the
Good Life
1. Epicureanism

2. Stoicism

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 3. Others find meaning in living through religion and the faith
that there is a Creator who plans well the universe for humans to
enjoy.

The Creator is the beginning of everything and

everything should go back to the Creator.
The good life should be in accordance with the plan of the
Creator.

It is the duty of humans to know the ways in which the

Creator has planned everything in order to find peace and live
the good life prepared and planned by the good Creator.

Others live their life in a deistic way, believing that

there’s a creator who created all things but as humans we need to
live our life without depending on this creator.
process is easy

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 4. Another perspective of living the good life is through
humanism.

Humanism focuses on “human dignity, beauty, and

potential.”

The development of this thought came when some people in

Europe tried to get away from religion and from what they
thought as ancient superstition.

Those who adhere to humanism focus on reason and have

tendency to set aside faith.

Knowledge can only be accepted as fact when it is proven

either empirically (through experience) or through reason.
Man can live a good life even without religion and the
adherence to faith.
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 For humanists, humans are free to make laws without
consideration of divine commands.

Humans can design their destiny without the thought of

grace, without the guidance from God and without the
Church.

One thinker who can be associated with humanism and

the enlightenment era is Francois-Marie Arouet or widely
known as Voltaire. He asserted that human life and its
purpose is not to reach heaven through pious acts and
sacrifices but to attain happiness through the progress of
sciences and arts since through sciences and arts humans
can attain what their nature is destined.
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